Second day on Malta (6.08.2009)

The night was not so good. The fan worked very loudly, so we switched it off, and it happened to be a very bad decision. We both woke up in lakes of sweat; don't know about Chris, but I also didn't receive proper sleep during the night (I had to move a lot, because it was too hot - even without any cover).

We had waken up early (Kid Cudi's "Day'n'Nite" as the alarm :D), had eaten some breakfast and had drunk coffee, so we got ready to search for the jobs.

One of the friends showed us the bus stop and advised about the bus number. He also advised us very carefully about having change when buying tickets from the driver. I thought, "what the hell", but yes, I prepared some change.

You've got to know: bus drivers in Malta are mad people. It might sound like a common urban legend, but sorry to say, it's true. The whole concept of public transportation on Malta is mixed up; almost all the busses meet in one spot, the Bus Terminus in Valetta, and then they spread in different directions. You've got to ask the locals, or have a bus map, because there are usually no schedules, no maps, and no tables whatsoever on the bus stops. The Maltese would of course inform you about the proper bus if you asked them, but you're going to be in trouble if there was noone near the bus stop...

We took a bus number 19 to Valetta. The bus driver was already mad from the first glance at our pale faces: when I was trying to get some change from the wallet, he said "come on, gbin, we don't have a whole day". Later I saw him shouting at a girl who went on the bus having just finished a cigarette - I don't know Maltese, but I think he started shouting at her about smoking in the bus, and when she showed him the fag she threw on the sidewalk, he shouted about her trashing the streets... perhaps he was right, but this was not the behaviour expected from a bus driver, was it?

So, after around 30 minutes we were in Valetta.

The capital city is a very beautiful place. Medieval centre surrounded by some 30 metres high city walls, all the buildings made of white stones (probably sandstone), lots of little straight streets going up and downhill, sea on three sides of the city, lots of little cafes and restaurants. Beautiful and very rich-looking St. Johns Cathedral with colourful frescs and many ornaments (in the matter of fact, it looks a little byzantine, but it was actually built in XVIth century). One of the managers of a big cafe in St. Pauls Place looked interested in my CV (especially the language skills), but he said he'd call me and it never happened.

We basicly started seeking for jobs from the very centre of Valetta. Then we went to Floriana, where, as it was around 13:00 (1:00PM), we ate lunch at the smallest Pastizzeria you can imagine. We paid 1,50 EUR each for a penne bolognese, a pasta with tomato sauce, some meat and cheese or cream (maybe it was a goat cheese, I don't know). This was delicious and the portions were really big!

Then we went to Tax'Biex, only to find out, that no cafes nor restaurants, or even shops, work during siesta time. Around 15:00 (3:00PM) we approached Gzira and Sliema, but still we were taking our chances at different bars with no success. In the evening, we were very exhausted and unhappy - we've seen some beautiful places, but it didn't help us find jobs.

We returned to Marsascala with our tongues basicly gathering trash from the streets. Karl gave us a lift to Qawra, place where our host Nicky lives. We were too tired to do anything else, so we just went to sleep.